Gauge for pipe bending machines



Aug. 14, 1945. (5. N. SIMONSEN GAUGE FOR PIPE BENDING MACHINES FiledNov. 5, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 14,1945. G. N. SIMONSEN GAUGE FORPIPE] EENDING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 5, 1943 Z M l QJm.lll|1| 3 .L

"QI/IM/ Patented Aug. 14, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT former GAUGE FORPIPE BENDING MACHINES George N. Simonsen, Chicago, Ill. ApplicationNovember 5, 1943, Serial No. 509,086

1 Claim. (Cl. 153-38) My invention relates to gauges for pipe bendingmachines. My gauge is also capable of use in connection with a pipebending .machine used for bending rods. Its use results in economy ofmaterial for the reason that when a pipe or rod is once bent beyond thedegree desired, it is diflicult, if not impossible, to return it to aformer l condition without distortion. Without the use of a gauge, wherea considerable amount of bending is done, a substantial percentage ofthe material bein bent is wasted.

One object of my invention is the provision of 1 pipe bending gaugewhich is capable of use with various pipe bending machines on the marketwith little or no modification.

Another object of my invention is to provide a gauge for use in pipebending which will be strong in construction and economicallymanufactured, easily applied to a pipe bending machine, and one whichwill not require adjustment.

Another object of my invention is to provide a gauge which will affordvarious scales for use in bending pipes of various diameters and whereinthe scales are so arranged that they may be easily read by the operatorof the pipe bending machine.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pipe bending machine of a well knownform having attached thereto the gauge of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view, partly in section and partly Y in elevation, of theequipment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1, the movable partsof the pipe bending machine, the gauge and the pipe being also shown indotted lines representing the positions they take in a pipe bendingoperation;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modified form of gauge having on the topthereof a plurality of scales "used in conjunction with pipes of sevendifferent diameters; and

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the gauge shown in Fig. 4. 1

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the reference character 9 indicatesthe frame of a pipe bending machine of a well known form available onthe market. A hydraulic ram [0 is attached to the frame and has a pumpoperated by a handle I I, the handle I I being pivotally mounted on theendpiece l3 of the hydraulic ram ID by means of a support l4 and abifurcated member IS. The frame 3 has cast integrally therewith ill'terial.

a member l8 forming an end closure for the cylinder of the hydraulic raml0. The frame 9 also comprises four arms, upper arms [1, l1, and lowerarms l8, l8. The arms l1, I'Land |8,l8, are perforated as at 20, 20, fora purpose which will presently appear.

Arranged to beremovably mounted between arms I1 and I8 are cornerformers 2|, 2|, held .in position by pins 22, 22, locked in properposition by cotter pins 23, 23. The hydraulic ram l0 has reciprocallymounted therein a piston 24 having near its outer end a shoulder 25 andreduced diameters 2B and 21. A shoe 28 of circular form, having itsouter face of circular cross section 30 and on its inner side ashoulder3|, is provided. The shoulder 3| has in its inner end a recess 32adapted to receive the end-21 of the hydraulic ram piston 24.

The gauge 34 of my invention comprises a substantially U-shaped piece ofmetal or other suitable material having at one end a leg 35; providedwith an aperture 36, and at the other end a face3l having indicia 38 toshow the angle or bend given to a piece of pipe or other ma- Attached tothe frame 9 of the pipe bending machine is an indicator 40. Theindicator 40 may be a strip of metal or other material formed forattachment to the frame 8 by means of welding or screws or bolts, orany'other convenient method, and to permit the face 31 of the gauge 34to pass under it and to enable the operator of the bending machine toobtain readings.

In the first instance, the indicia to be applied to the gauge 34 and theface 31 thereof is determined by use with one of the several forms ofpipe bending machines available, the pipe being bent to an angle andrecording the degree thereof on the face 31 of the gauge 34. Otherdegrees of bend are then recorded on the face 31 of the gauge 34 untilthe desired number of readings are obtained, it being necessary tomeasure the angle of the pipe bend with a protractor, combinationsquare, or other instrument. After this has been done, duplicate gaugesmay be reproduced with facility. Various types of pipe bending. machinesonlthe market vary somewhat, particularly with reference to the diameterof the hydraulic piston 24 or the shape thereof, but for each form ofpipe bending machine it is only necessary to vary the size or thecharacter of the opening in the leg 35 of the gauge 34, or to make suchother modifications as will be apparent from the construction of thebending machine to which my cause is to'be applied.

For various diameters of pipeto be bent in a pipe bending machine, themanufacturers of the pipe bending machines furnish different shoes 28having circular cross-sections 30 to conform to the diameter of the pipebeing bent. The gauge 34 shown in Figs, 1, 2 and 3 f the drawings, iSone illustrating a form of my device for indicating the angle or bendgiven to pipes of one diameter, say, twp-inch diameter.

Although bending machines may be made to bend any size of pipe, themachine shown in the drawings is one adapted for use with pipes rangingin diameter from th'ree-eighths of an inch to two inches. In bending apipe having a. diameter of two inches, the pins 22 are inserted in theoutermost holes 20, 20, whereas, if a pipe having a diameter ofthree-eighths of an inch is being bent, the pins are initially placed inthe innermost holes 20, 20. Intermediate sizes of pipe require that thepins initially be inserted in the holes intermediate the inner and outerholes, all of which are marked by the manufacturers of the pipe bendingmachines.

In Fig. 4 is shown a gauge, also substantially U-shaped having a leg35a, an aperture 36a, and a face 31a. In the form of gauge shown inFigs. 4 and 5, the face 31a is somewhat wider than the face 31 of thegauge shown in Fig. 1, but it may be of the same width as the gaugeshown in Fig. 1, depending on how large the legends are desired to beand the number of scales to be applied to the gauge. In the gauge shownin Fig. 4, I have shown scales appropriate for indicating the angles ofbend applicable to pipes of seven different diameters ranging fromthree-ei'ghths inch to two inches.

The operation is as follows: The piston 24 of the hydraulic ram I0 isplaced in a retracted position. A straight piece of pipe 43 to be bent,is then inserted between the shoe or bending former 28 and the cornerformers 2|. When in this position, one edge of the indicator 4!! liesdirectly over aesaeee the reading 0 on the face 31 of the gauge,Hydraulic pressure is then built up in the hydraulic ram Ill forcing theshoe or bending former 28 outwardly against the pipe 43, The pipe 43,being held against outward movement by the comer formers 2|, 2|, is bentaround the shoe or bending former 28, and the degree of angle or bendmay be observed by sighting along the indicator and obtaining thereading on the indicia appearing on the face 31 of the gauge 34. Theamount of bend given to a piece of pipe depends on the length of travelof the piston 24 out of the hydraulic ram I 0 and the diameter of thepipe, and is limited thereby. If a greater angle of bend is desired thanis afforded by one operation of the hydraulic ram l0 and the piston 24,the piston 24 may be drawn into retracted position and the cornerformers 2| removed and placed in another position between the arms I!and I8 by removing the pins 22 and re-inserting them in other holes 20closer to the center of .the pipe bending machine.

This operation may be repeated until the desired bend or angle iobtained.

What I claim is: r

In a gauge for measuring the angle of bend in a pipe being bent in abending machine having a transversely extending frame member providedwith formers at opposite sides of the machine and an intermediate shoeadapted'to be forced by power from one side to the otherof the lineconnecting said formers, the combination of a U- bar, a leg carried byone end portion of the U-bar in substantially right-angled relationthereto for connecting the U-bar to the intermediate shoe of suchbending machine with the other end portion of the U-bar extending alongthe face of the frame member between the formers, and means comprisingan index and graduations for indicating the extent of movement of theshoe with respect to the formers.

' GEORGE N. SIMONSEN.

